Bedford: how to get there and around
Airports, stations, ports, where the hotels are and what the numbers say, from public data rather than a brochure.
Bedford is a city of 106,940 people in United Kingdom (England), 30 m (98 ft) above sea level. The nearest large airport is London Luton Airport (LTN), 30 km (19 mi) from the centre. It has 2 railway stations on record, including Bedford St Johns railway station.
Key facts
Daylight in Bedford runs from about 7 h 48 min a day in late December to 16 h 50 min in late June (computed for 52.13° latitude), which matters more than the forecast when a day is built around one flight or one crossing.
Getting there
Bedford is served by 6 airports with scheduled flights within 100 km. The closest large one is London Luton Airport (LTN), 30 km (19 mi) from the centre, with a longest runway of 7,093 ft, which limits it to short and medium-haul aircraft. The alternatives are London Stansted Airport (STN, 55 km), London Heathrow Airport (LHR, 74 km), Birmingham Airport (BHX, 94 km), East Midlands Airport (EMA, 97 km), London City Airport (LCY, 79 km).
Flights to Bedford: every airport, routes and times
By rail: stations on record include Bedford St Johns railway station, Bedford railway station. Trains to Bedford
Buses to Bedford · Driving and car hire
Nearby cities, and how to get between them
- London, 73 km — trains · buses · car rental · tours
- Birmingham, 105 km — tours
- Brussels, 363 km (Belgium) — flights
- Rotterdam, 339 km (The Netherlands) — flights
- Amsterdam, 365 km (The Netherlands)
- Manchester, 191 km — tours
- Sheffield, 154 km — tours
- Leeds, 198 km — tours
- Antwerp, 351 km (Belgium)
- Liverpool, 221 km — tours
Twin towns and sister cities: Włocławek, Bamberg, Rovigo, Arezzo.
Common questions
Which airport serves Bedford?
London Luton Airport (LTN), 30 km (19 mi) from the centre, plus 5 other airports with scheduled flights within 100 km.
How big is Bedford?
About 106,940 people live in Bedford, across 20 km² (GeoNames and Wikidata).
What time zone is Bedford in?
Europe/London, currently UTC+1.
What currency is used in Bedford?
The Pound (GBP). Traffic drives on the left.
Which cities are near Bedford?
London (73 km), Birmingham (105 km), Brussels (363 km), Rotterdam (339 km), Amsterdam (365 km).
Where these facts come from
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, elevation, time zone, postal codes
- Wikidata (CC0): area, sister cities, visitor numbers, heritage listings, stations and ports
- OurAirports (public domain): airports, runways
- Natural Earth (public domain): map outlines
Data compiled 14 September 2026. Hotel and hostel figures are from our booking partner’s catalogue on that date. Journey times on this page are estimates from distance, not timetables; check the operator before you rely on one.